Main content
This programme is not currently available

The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Ex­plor­a­tion of the Most Power­ful Ob­ject of Our Time by Keith Houston (Omnibus)

Keith Houston visits the Nile Delta where papyrus was created when humans first put ink to paper. Read by Deborah Findlay.

Just what goes into the making of a book?

Keith Houston takes us to the banks of the Nile Delta in Egypt to explore the creation of Papyrus when humans first put ink to paper.

This is an exploration behind the elements that go into the creation of one of life's most powerful and precious objects - 'The Book'.

From the creation of parchment and paper to the the materials that we use now, this is a delightful dip into the long and often surprising history of one of the world's most important information technologies.

Read by Deborah Findlay

Abridged in five parts by Libby Spurrier.

Producer: Celia de Wolff

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2018.

1 hour, 10 minutes

Last on

Mon 6 Mar 202300:30
BBC Radio 4 Extra

Broadcasts

  • Sun 20 May 201809:00
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sun 20 May 201820:00
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sun 5 Mar 202306:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sun 5 Mar 202311:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sun 5 Mar 202317:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Mon 6 Mar 202300:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra